A great way to add old-style ambiance to a room is to place objects that were popular in the past, particularly items that may not have been considered to be decorative items. One such example is the stoneware whiskey jugs. Those old-style pottery jugs that are synonymous with whiskey and moonshine and the illicit manufacture of alcohol.

These jugs are iconic in appearance, certainly very distinctive and remain very useful as liquid containers. Placing one or more in the kitchen provides rustic charm to the room, but not only that, it also provides you with more storage that is just a little unusual.

These pottery jugs can be found by searching under the names stoneware whiskey jugs, stoneware shoulder jugs, moonshine jugs, gallon jugs or simply pottery jugs. They were very common in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century and the more recognisable are the ones that were glazed a dark brown at the top and pale on the bottom.

These pottery jugs are made from white clay and fired at high temperatures to form a nonporous vessel suitable for storing liquids. The exterior of the jugs are glazed using a method known as salt-glazing in which common salt is used in the firing process.

They are study pieces and many of have survived through the years to become extremely collectible and useful objects in the home. While they are synonymous with the liquor industry, particularly the illegal liquor industry, they remain very useful vessels that are capable of holding all types of liquids.

Anyone who is attempting to decorate a room in a rustic style that uses pieces that were of little value or were commonly seen in everyday life in the US would have to have a stoneware jug as part of the landscape. They are instantly recognizable due to their shape, size and the colors with which they were glazed.

Stoneware crocks and jugs were made in a range of sizes and the shapes varied slightly from the stout to the more streamlined versions. It is possible to find antique stoneware jugs with capacities ranging anywhere from 1 quart right up to 30 gallons. The most commonly seen are the half-gallon and gallon jugs.

It was not common practice for manufacturers to stamp or incise markings to indicate makers name or year of manufacture until around the 1860s. In some cases it may be possible to find jugs that have some identifying markings inscribed on the base that will give a clue as to what company manufactured it. Later jugs were stamped with identifying information, helping out those who would come later and want to collect these iconic pieces of history. Two such companies that have produced whiskey jugs that have become popular collectors items are McCormick Platte Valley Whiskey Company and the Henry McKenna Company both of whose jugs are available for sale by following the links.

Closely related to the whiskey jugs and just as keenly sought after by collectors are stoneware ginger beer bottles. These bottles were made during the 19th century and represent a huge slice of stoneware pottery that was manufactured at the time. Some of the ginger beer bottles that were made during the years of the 19th century to the early 20th century are very decorative and well worth tracking down.

Take this opportunity to browse through the selection of jugs for sale:

Add some character to the home with a Stoneware whiskey jug placed on display in the dining room or on the kitchen bench. Finding antique whiskey jugs for sale can be a very rewarding pastime and their placement in a room as a feature or accent piece can help set the tone very nicely.

Antique Stoneware whiskey jugs are tremendous examples of old style pottery that is both instantly recognisable and a great way to celebrate history. These antique jugs will provide a decorative touch to a room that is decorated in a more rustic style. Browse through the range of Stoneware whiskey jugs for sale below.

Finding items to use as decorative touches in the home can be difficult, particularly if you aren’t sure exactly what the final effect will look like. Using a Stoneware whiskey jug is an imaginative way to add a rustic return to a previous time to the room. Not only do these jugs provide interest and charm they can be used as a vessel to hold liquids.

Placing a range of stoneware whiskey jugs of differing sizes on the kitchen bench as a display feature is sure to add a great deal of character to the room. The type of jugs that many people consider to be the typical looking stoneware whiskey jugs are properly described as two-toned stoneware featuring a slip top and glazed bottom.

Take some care when buying these old-style jugs that they are in good condition and that there are no cracks in the surface. A jug that is in fine or better condition will provide a valuable piece that will be more than a decorative item.

There is a tremendous amount of history behind the manufacture and use of old stoneware whiskey jugs from the early storage days to their use in the manufacture of illicit moonshine during prohibition. The early 20th century whiskey jugs provide some of the most collectible jugs available and they make terrific decorative features for placement around the kitchen or dining room or in use as water jugs.

Collectors of stoneware should not be able to go past some of the gorgeous old jugs that can be picked up for very reasonable prices. Not only will they look good in your home but the process of picking up pottery whiskey jugs can also provide you with some very interesting insights into the history of the whiskey industry in the country.

The early stoneware whiskey jugs were not actually used for storing or transporting whiskey. In fact, they were used as promotional tools as a means of marketing the products. Free promotional whiskey jugs were used to serve water as a mixer and the advertising that was placed on the side meant that these jugs became the decorative whiskey jugs that are now very popular decorative items.

Although there are quite a lot of different types of whiskey jugs produced by some of the more important pottery manufacturers, the practice of collecting them did not really take off until more recent times. It is now recognised that decorating with old whiskey jugs, particularly those that have been given an attractive finish with either a distinctive or colourful design, is a great way of adding to the look of an area.

Certain types of jugs may be very distinctive and could be easily spotted as a more valuable jug, something that other people might overlook. As a quick example it is very likely that if you spot a white antique whiskey jug with blue writing it could be a Henry McKenna whiskey jug. As far as antique whiskey jugs go these jugs do not necessarily cost a great deal of money but their decorative and historical value is quite strong.

An interesting variation on what might be considered to be the classical stoneware whiskey jug is a jug that is known either as a horseshoe stoneware jug or a Stiles Jug. You can read more about these types of jugs on our Horseshoe Stoneware Jug page.

Notable and Collectable Whiskey Jugs

There are many ways to go about collecting whiskey jugs and, ultimately, it is going to be up to your personal preferences for what you feel is pleasing to the eye or important. Described below are a few different variations of the stoneware whiskey jug, some of them are specific to a particular manufacturer and others are more descriptive of a whiskey jug style.

Beehive Style Whiskey Jug

The beehive jug is an early stoneware design that was used by a number of pottery companies to provide substantial liquid storage. It is probably more common to find these jugs in 3 gallon, 4 gallon and 5 gallon sizes although they were also regularly made in gallon sizes too. The beehive jugs were usually hand turned and this meant that it is quite common to see a slight variance in size from one to the other.

The beehive jug is a solid looking stoneware jug that provided a durable container that also kept its contents nice and cool for long periods of time. They were often given a salt glaze or a dark brown glaze with the occasional jug provided with a more decorative finish of some kind of painted feature.

Beehive jugs make extremely attractive decorative vessels for placement in places such as a fireplace mantel, the windowsill or as a feature placed on the floor, perhaps with a dried flower arrangement coming out of the top. Even if they are left unadorned they can look very impressive.

An example of a beehive jug that has become very popular with collectors is the Red Wing jug. Red Wing beehive jugs were available in sets of three different sizes – three, four and five gallon linked together by the design that was used on the front. We have created a separate post that provides more information about Red Wing Stoneware Jugs.

RCP Co Akron Ohio Stoneware Jugs

The jugs that you might see marked as RCP Co. Akron Ohio were made by Robinson Clay Products Co. in the early 1900s. Some of the jugs made by RCP Co. have a distinctive blue and white band around the pale salt glazed body of the jug. Others feature the more usual bi-tone dark brown glazed top and white body that is more synonymous with a whiskey jug. The markings of these jugs are stamped on the bottom identifying them as from R.C.P. Co. Some of these jugs are the types of old collectible jugs that are fascinating to research because much of it will involve the development and history of the company itself.

Detrick Distilling Stoneware Jugs

There are some very interesting whiskey jugs that originated from the Detrick Distilling Co. The company was first operated as a milling company from 1884 before turning to the business of distilling the grain and selling it as liquor. The company became known as the Detrick Milling and Distilling Company and operated until 1919 out of Tippecanoe City, Ohio.

There are still a sizable number of Detrick whiskey jugs in circulation today and the most famous are the 4-1/2” stoneware motto jugs that feature a common toast or slogan emblazoned on the side. An example of what these small jugs look like is pictured over there on the right. There are twelve of these mini whiskey jugs featuring the following mottos:

"As I go up the hill of prosperity, may I never meet a friend."
"Eat, drink and be merry."
"While we live, let's live."
"May fortune ever smile on you."
"To err is human, to forgive divine."
"There's always more from where I came."
"I am always welcome wherever I go."
"A friend in need is a friend indeed."
"When you see me you will always smile."
"If you try me once you will try me again."
"Drink weary Pilgrim, for tomorrow you may die."
"Rye on Toast."